Coupling nut



p 1942- I E. c. THOMSEN 2,294,637

COUPLING NUT Filed Ju1y'5, 1940 NV ENT OR.

Patented Sept. 1. 19842 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to pipe fittings and the like and moreparticularly to couplings for pipe or hose connections.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a simplecoupling employing a nut on one of a pair of coupling members and aflanged member on a companion coupling memher with formations on the nutadapted to have the flange slid or worked transversely with a slightrocking movement into the formations, on the nut when the members arecoupled together, thereby obviating the necessity for completelyunscrewing the nut or fitting the nut over one'of the pipe membersbefore threading the same onto the other member.

Viewed from another aspect, it is an object of the invention to providea quick coupling device for pipe or hose connections and especially,though not necessarily, flexible couplings, the

coupling including a full threaded nut for one coupling member and aflanged portion on a complementary coupling member adapted to interfitin cut-away or slotted portions on the nut by lateral movement relativethereto so that the nut need not bev completely unscrewed to loosen ortighten the coupling.

Another and more particular object is the provision of a coupling deviceincluding a full threaded nut provided with diametrically opposite postsor projections extending in the direction of the axis of the pipe orhose and each provided with a groove portion adapted to receive theferrule or flange on a complementary coupling member by movement of theflange portion laterally or transversely of the nut between the postsand into the slotted portions thereof.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention reside incertain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationshipof the component parts of the illustrative embodiment describedhereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complementary coupling members ininterfitted relation;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the coupling Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the coupling Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section along lines 44 Fig. 2, to enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the coupling Fig. 1 with portions of thenut cut away;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a modification of the nut to include wrenchstuds.

As viewed in Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of the coupling includes ahexagonal coupling nut it) provided with a full interior thread l0 (Fig.4), and at one axial end of the nut is disposed a pair of oppositeaxially extending posts or projections II, each having a radiallydirected projection I2 constituting a coupling finger. In other terms,each of the posts II may be said to be undercut as at I3 to providearcuate grooves adapted to receive the flange I5 on a companion couplingmember or ferrule I6.

As shown in Fig. 4, the nut 10 is threaded upon a main coupling nippleI8 provided with a beveled mouth I9 against which the beveled endportion 20 of the ferrule I6 is pressed tightly in sealing engagementwhen the nut IE] is turned up, the projections I2 on the posts bearingflrmly against the circumferential shoulder H on the flange of theferrule for this purpose.

The lateral width of the coupling posts, that is, the Width across theprojections I2 in a direction transversely of the pipe or hose, issuflicient to insure a maximum of structural rigidity and at the sametime permit the flange portion I5 on the ferrule to be worked sidewiseinto the groove portions l3.

A feature of the invention relates to the construction of the flange I5and the beveled end portion 20 on the ferrule or companion couplingmember by virtue of which it is necessary to slide the ferrule at anangle with a sort of rocking motion into the slots I3 in the posts, asillustrated by the dotted and dash-dot lines of Fig. 5. As shown in Fig.4, the distance D between the outer peripheral extremity of the beveledend of the ferrule and the innermost extremity of the flange 2| of theferrule, is greater than the depth d of the groove I3 in the posts. Inconsequence of this, the flange I5 on the ferrule cannot be slipped bydirect lateral movement into the grooves between the posts, but must berocked in the manner of the dotted-line showing in Fig. 5.

The advantage flowing from the foregoing peculiarities of the couplingstructure resides in the fact that the threading on the nipple l8 neednot be very long, to provide for firm engagement with the threading onthe nut when the nut is turned up to draw the ferrule into the nipple.In other terms, the clearance between the ferrule and the grooveportions in the posts is reduced so that the nut need not be tightenedas far as would be the case where the ferrule is slipped by directlateral movement into a socket portion, as in the case of coupling nutsknown in the prior art.

may be turned entirely off the nipple and onto' the ferrule. quickly andeasily manipulated both as to inserting and withdrawing the couplingmembers and in turnin up or loosening the coupling nut, the

structure at the same time having more than adequate strength for alltypes of installation or application.

The various advantages and objects of the invention may be accomplishedby modifications of the particular embodiment specifically describedherein, and it is intended that the appended claims shall include allequivalent arrangements fairly coming within their call.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coupling of the class described including a nipple and a ferruleadapted to be drawn end to end in coupled engagement, the combination ofa nut threadable onto the nipple and having opposite post portionsprovided with 0pposite grooves extending in a generally circumferentialdirection, each of said grooves including a marginal projectionextending in a direction radially inward of the nut, said ferrule havinga flange portion spaced inwardly from the end of said ferrule whichengages the nipple, and in an axial direction from said end, on theferrule, a distance which is greater than the depth of said groovesmeasured in a direction axially of said nut such that the flange portionon the ferrule is of too great a depth to be inserted by direct lateralmovement in between the posts into The improved coupling is therefore ithe groove portions therein but must be rocked in between said posts atan angle, whereby the turning movement of the nut necessary to draw theferrule into engagement with the nipple is reduced.

2. In a coupling of the class described including complementary conduitmembers adapted to be drawn end to end in coupled engagement, a nutthreadable onto a first one of said members, said nut havingdiametrically opposite post portions at an axial end thereof remote fromsaid first-mentioned conduit member, each of said post portions having agroove extending in a generally circumferential direction relative tothe threading on the nut, the remaining conduit member having acircumferentially extending shoulder adjacent the end thereof whichinterfits with the first-mentioned conduit member, which shoulderportion is spaced inwardly in the direction of the length of saidremaining conduit member from said end of the latter which engages thefirst-mentioned conduit member by a distance greater than the depth ofthe grooves in the post portions measured in the same direction, suchthat said remaining conduit member must be tilted sidewise between saidgrooves in the post portions, whereby less take-up is required on thenut in order to urge said conduit members into coupled relationship.

3. A coupling comprising a nut having a pair ofoppositely disposedprojections with grooves formed on their inner axial wall, a, nipplehaving a beveled mouth formed in the threaded end thereof and adapted tothreadably engage said nut, a ferrule provided with a flanged endportion terminating into a beveled surface, said flanged end and beveledsurface being adapted to extend into said nut a distance greater thanthe width of said grooves and being rockingly insertable into suchposition with the flanged end portion in said grooves whereby a minimumthreading movement of the nut is required to draw said beveled mouth andbeveled surface into sealed relation.

EWALD C. THOMSEN.

